Lessons from the Jewish Women in Egypt

Before we can consider the unique mission each one of us has in this world or how to properly face the nisyonis in our lives, we first need to know where we are trying to go. What is our potential as Jewish women, wives, mothers, and daughters? Who should be our role models?

Our Sages tell us that the Egyptian exile is a prototype and the root of all future exiles (Bereishis Rabbah 16:4) and the beginning of our birth as a nation. We are also told “In the merit of righteous women of the generation, our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt.” (Sotah, 11b)

So, if we want some kind of road map of our journey in this world, it makes sense to study what exactly happened with the Jewish women in Egypt. It is precisely in the throws of the harsh Egyptian exile that we can find shinning examples of how to be and who we can become.